Childhood optic neuritis: the pediatric neurologist's perspective.
BACKGROUND
Optic neuritis in children may be an isolated, usually postinfectious event, or the symptom of a more widespread disorder.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the etiological spectrum of optic neuritis in children in association with diagnostic findings and follow-up results.


METHODS
We retrospectively examined the records of 31 children aged 4-15 (mean 9.7+/-2.9) years in whom isolated optic neuritis was the presenting neurological symptom.


RESULTS
Monophasic bilateral optic neuritis was the most common presentation (45%), followed by the unilateral (32%) and recurrent (22%) forms. Initial cranial MRI was abnormal in 12/31 patients. During a mean follow-up of 2.2 years (6 months-15 years), 6/14 bilateral cases, 9/10 unilateral and 5/7 recurrent cases were diagnosed with various disorders including total eight with MS. The MS group tended to start with unilateral optic neuritis, was older (mean 11.6+/-1.5 vs. 8.8+/-2.9 years), and included more girls than the other groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Optic neuritis in children is frequently part of a systemic or neurological disorder even in the presence of normal cranial imaging. These patients should be evaluated and followed-up in pediatric neurology clinics.
Cakmakli
Gül
G
Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Ankara, Turkey.
Kurne
Asli
A
Güven
Alev
A
Serdaroğlu
Ayşe
A
Topaloğlu
Haluk
H
Teber
Serap
S
Anlar
Banu
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009107:Mumps / Q000150:complications; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000209:etiology; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012008:Recurrence; D012409:Rubella / Q000150:complications; D012737:Sex Factors
D008775:Methylprednisolone